Protests staged against McLaren Circus in Atlasville
“Special attention is paid to all our animals’ diets. Daily, they receive only the best, fresh food and feed with clean drinking water. As the circus has no sponsorship, you, the public help fund us so that we can maintain and care for our beautiful animals.” - McClaren Circus
McLaren Circus is visiting Boksburg to the dismay of Critter Rescue SA (CRSA), which is against animals being used for entertainment purposes.
The organisation is silent protesting this week at the circus, which has set up on the corner of Finch and Atlas Road, Atlasville.
They were also part of the silent protest in Edenvale hosted by Ban Animal Trading, where about 300 people protested outside McLaren in Edenvale recently.
On November 20, a small group of protesters braved the rain and were seen holding signs that wrote ‘Animals are not clowns’ and ‘No voice, no choice’.
“We are against any industry that uses animals for entertainment. Wild animals belong in the wild and definitely not in a circus. We will only support a circus if it’s animal free,” said the director of CRSA, Karien van Wyk.
She added that Ban Animal Trading will be holding a big protest this Saturday.
“Circus animals are being kept in cages and their welfare can’t be fully addressed in such circumstances. It’s time for South Africa to move on. Nobody needs an animal to entertain them anymore.
“We learn more about animals when they are seen in their natural habitat. Animals need more than food and shelter,” Dr Smaragda Louw from Ban Animal Trading said.
The Boksburg SPCA will also inspect McLaren during their visit in Boksburg.
“We are opposed to animals being used in circuses . Animals should not be kept in captivity and most of time, the training methods circuses use on animals are inhumane,” said Vicky Finnemore, manager at the Boksburg SPCA.
“The use of animals in a circus is not completely banned; however, they do need a performing animal licence. As long as the public supports circuses with animals, they will continue to thrive.
Karl Hildebrandt, Mclaren’s spokesperson, said: “McLaren Circus has always maintained a high standard of animal care. All our animals receive love and care 24 hours a day.
“We consult with veterinarians throughout South Africa to maintain this high standard. Careful attention is paid to all our animals’ diets and they receive fresh drinking water daily. Our animals are exercised on a daily basis and receive various forms of stimulation through training and environmental enrichment.
“All our animals are safely transported from venue to venue in specialised trailers. The circus only travels short distances, from town to town and in cities, suburb to suburb. All our animals are accustomed to transportation and never show signs of stress.
“The circus has regular veterinary inspections. These are conducted by various veterinary specialists throughout the country. Our circus vet has been monitoring our animals for many years, however, we do consult with other vets and this helps us maintain a high standard of animal care.”
Hildebrandt said all the animals receive the necessary inoculations and are de-wormed on a bi-annual basis.
“Our animals’ health and well-being is of utmost importance at all times.
